Potato-digger.



H. F. UPTON, M. E. FISHER 51 G. L. WOLF.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I6. 1917.

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" INVENTORS WITNEfi SE 5 I C7 5% H. F. UPTON', M. E. FESHER & a. L. WOLF.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-l6. I91?- 1 ,279,793 Patented Sept. 24, 1918.

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H11 II II I HHIII HM :mlllHl FiG 6 lll llll INVENTOR S WITNESSES UNITED STATES v HARVEY r. urrron, mrnron n. FISHER,- nnnenonen L. wotr, or strooxrofr, CALI- 1301mm, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESN'E ASSIGNMENTS, ro sAInwoLF 'AINID EUR-USE, OF STOCK TON, CALIFORNIA.

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To all whom it mag concern: I

Be it known that we, HARVEY F. Ur'roN, MILTON E. FISHER, and Gnoncn L. WOLF, citizens of the United States, residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State, of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato Diggers, of whichthe following is a specification.

necessary .be built.

This invention relatesto amechanical devicethepurpose of which isto provide mechanical means to unearth or dig potatoes .orzlike produce, and at the same operation to eliminate all foreign :matter as earth,

weeds, etc, the entire process'being accomplishedvby mechanical-means, The apparatus is constructedin a novel way to. enable thistend being attained, andis constructed in suchmanner that a durable structure for an apparatus of -thi klnd can The invention has for its objectv to provide suitable means for cutting oif the top or above ground growth of the prodnctbeing dug, andtat the same time digging under the growth below )the surface .of the ground and by the forwarding movement. of

- the machine raisingtheproduct and foreign matter back to a position Wherethe draper bars ,will convey potatoes and foreign matter over=the surface of the separator, and finally depositing the cleaned produce v1n sacks onthe sacking platform.

In order that the invention may be-better understood, reference ishad tothe accompanyingudrawings forming apart of the.

speeificat'ion,v in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the machine, for the purpose ofmainlyshowing the relation of the component parts and theinethod .of driving them; Fig.2 is a partial sectional view looking. at the end of the. topseparator :and toward the back of the t machine; this showsthe. chute supply ng t0p' separator; Fig. 3 shows an end view of lower separator loo-king from the back-toward ,thenfront of'the machine, this view showing the chute which supplies the con ve er fromthe lower separator;

, ig. 4 is a plan view of themachine;

,Fig.r.5 isaa partial; sectional view looking at the lower separator, .at the digging end, this transverse section F g, ,1 6' is Application filed August 16,1917; Serial no. 186,503,

'aniend view of the digging end of thelower 2 which are fitted and rotate in (wood or Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 24, 1918. I

other suitable material) bearings 3, hel'd-in fixed position on angles 4 by bolts 5, nuts 45 and vwasher 44:. The bolts when the nuts are unscrewed are free 3 to slide in slot between angles 4, which allows for adjustment of the space between the rotatable ,rollers 1.

Thedraper sprocket :wheels '6 transmit motlon to thedraper chain 7 which carries the drapenbars 8. These draper bars extends across the entire width of both separators and are raised a short distance above the rotatable rollers 1, their function being to slide the earth and product along the sur- ,'face' of the rollers 1. The lower separator has in addition to the movable 'draper bars,

fixed bars .9, placed :atan oblique angle to gradually workoif the separator large, lumps of earth or other foreign matter that otherwise would not'pass between the rollers :1.

A pressure-blowerl0 blows a blast-of air the width of the-lower separating rollers .1, the I I blast being directed between rollers 1 and the chute 11 which eXpels all foreign mat- ,ternot havingpassed. between the rollers 1. p

-;Theshield4l,is placed. over the ends of the rollers and excludes any foreign material :fromgettinginto the twisted belt roftating the rollers 1.

The digging prongs 12 are sharp and 1 pointed and 'flaredout' at their ends, being rigidly held by thecrosszplate 13, securely fastened .at each end tothe frame 14. It will be seenrthat the frame 14 also supports the angles 4:, and draper-sprocketsfi. The frame 14 is pivoted 'onthecross shaft 42 which allows the entire lower separatorto pivotaround this point thereby regulating wthedepth of thecut desired. 7 V

A series of pulleys 15,0ne for eachseparating roller drive the rolls l by a twisted belt 16, motion and power'being delivered .topulleys 15 by the chain drive 43. In the case of the lower separator the chain drive i 513 also drives the draper sprocket; In the,

top separator the chain drive 43 drives the upper set of rollers 1 and the chain drive .46 drives the draper drive sprocket. The chain drives 13 receive their power and motion from sprocket 18 which is secured to line shaft 19.

The blower 10 receives its power by belt 20 from pulley secured to line shaft 19.

The top separator is very similar in construction to the lower separator excepting that the lower separator has six rollers, and the top separator hasten rollers, although wedo not confine the construction to any certain fiXed number of rollers. It is desirable to have the greater number of rollers in the top separator. It will be seen by referring to the drawings that the top separator lies in a horizontal plane, the lower separator lies normally at an inclined plane, and the top separator also does not have the oblique bars 9.

The conveyer 22 receives the discharge from the lower separator by means of the chute 11, and this conveyer conveys the produce and the remaining foreign matter up and discharges into chute 23 which in turn discharges onto the top of the upper separating rolls, the draper bars 24 carrying the potatoes or like produce longitudinally along the rollers 1. The remaining dirt and foreign matter is agitated and broken up and eliminated by passing through the space between the rollers. Thecleaned potatoes or products are discharged into the sacking chute from which they are sacked on the sacking platform.

The counter shaft 19 receives motion and power through the bevel gearing 25 and line shaft 26 which is connected to the motive power 27 by the belt 28.

The transmission gearing in the case 29 transmits the power and rotary motion to drive shaft 30, driving sprockets 31, which in turn drive large sprockets 32 and these sprockets being rigidly fastened to the driving wheels 33 to give power of locomotion to the entire apparatus.

Steering wheels 3 1 are operated in the ordinary manner as applied to vehicles of this kind for guiding and controlling the direction of the machine.

A sickle bar 35 being placed ahead of the digging prongs cuts down all growth above the surface of the ground. is driven from the line shaft 26 by sprocket 36, driving pitman 38. The sickle bar extends a distance each side of the lower separating rolls. The weeds and above ground growth are directed to one side of the machine where they are discarded.

The cable-39 provides means for raising the lower end of the separator and frame out of the cut, rotating the entire frame around the pivot 42.

The stay cable 40 provides means of hold- The sickle bar ing the digging prongs 12 to the cut and takes the strain of cutting from the frame of the lower separator.

The object of this invention is to provide suitable means to digby mechanical means potatoes or like products and provide suitable means whereby all foreign matter attached or intermingled caused by the digging canbe eliminated. The following explanation will enable all persons familiar with the art to which it appertains to readily understand its operation.

As the apparatus is propelled in a forward direction, the digging prongs out to the depth desired. The continual forward movement slides the productbeing dug and the earth back over to where the draper bars slide the entire mass up on the' inclined separating rolls 1. All small broken'up foreignmatter passes through the space between the rolls, and on account of the rollers 1 turning the entire mass is continually agitated upon the surface of the rollers, the process of cleaning being continuous. The large lumps of dirt encounter the oblique fixed bars 9 and areslid along toward the sides and discarded over the sides of the lower separator. The remaining earth and potatoes or produce is carried on over the shield 41 and drops through the blast of air from the blower 10 which eliminates the lighter foreign matter. The remaining mass discharges into chute 11 which discharges on the conveyer 22 having small cleats 42*, which carries the mass up and dumps it into the chute 23 which in turn where the same cycle of operation takes place as already explained. The rollers 1 are each adjustabl'e'so that discharges onto the top separating rolls 7 distance between rollers can be regulated for various soils that may be encountered.

It will be readily seen that the ap-' paratus provides a durable mechanical means whereby potatoes and like products can be quickly and easily dug.

Various other changes and modifications a draper traveling over therolle'rs in the direction of the length thereof.

2. In a potato orv like harvesting apparatus,

' an inclined series of parallel spaced rollers,

a supporting frame. for the rollers, a draper traveling over the rollers in the direction of the length thereof, and deflectingbars "mounted obliquely above the draper.

3; In a potato or like harvesting apparatus,

an inclined series of parallel spaced rollers, a supporting frame for the rollers, means for carrying the products along the rollers in the direction of the length thereof, and deflecting bars mounted obliquely above said means.

4:. In a potato or like harvesting apparatus, an inclined series of parallel spaced rollers, a supporting frame, bearings for the rollers on the frame and adjustable laterally to vary the spacing between the rollers, and means for carrying the products along the rollers in the direction of the length thereof.

5. In a potato or like harvesting apparatus an inclined series of parallel spaced rollers, a supporting frame for the rollers, means for carrying the products along the rollers means for carrying the productsalong said 7 second series of rollers in the direction of the length thereof, and means for conveying the products from the chute to the second mentioned series of rollers.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures in presence of two Witnesses. HARVEY F. UPTON. MILTON E. FISHER. GEORGE L. WOLF. Witnesses:

W. W. DooLITTLE, CHAS. H. YOUNG.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

